According to Thai media reports, Myanmar nationals are being arrested daily for illegally entering Thailand. Most of those arrested are young people aged between 18 and 35 years old, who are attempting to evade forced military service by the military council. On August 15, Thai authorities in Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhlaburi district arrested seven undocumented Myanmar nationals who were being transported by a Myanmar driver.
On the same day, another arrest occurred in Kanchanaburi province where authorities detained ten undocumented Myanmar workers and a Myanmar driver who possessed a hill tribe identification card. These individuals had entered Thailand through the Three Pagodas Pass border area and were planning to travel to Bangkok and Samut Sakhon. Investigation revealed that they had each paid 10,000 Thai baht to brokers for the journey.
According to Myanmar labor rights activists in Thailand, young people from Myanmar are currently fleeing through illegal routes into Thailand to escape forced military service by the military council. The military council has been forcing young people into military service, pressuring them to attend military training, and detaining those who refuse to comply. As a result, many young people are leaving the country. The military council’s oppressive actions, including forced recruitment and persecution of civilians, have led to this ongoing exodus of Myanmar youth seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
